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Using data from a national study spanning 12 years, I examined the effects of several middle-school and high-school variables on completion versus non-completion of the bachelor's degree. All young people in the study had attended college with the purpose of attaining the bachelor's. Several variables had practically significant effects on degree completion, with the strongest effects from the academically intensive science and math courses that participants took in high school. The Long-Term Educational Development model was formulated from the findings; and separate analyses for Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans, and Whites support the applicability of the model. The model identifies the salient influences on students' long-term educational development. It is offered as a guide for counseling, education-career planning, and leadership and advocacy for students' educational development. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

This workshop stresses the importance of advisories to the learning process. It stresses that relationships and the personalization of learning are fundamentals to the learning process both in and out of school. It suggests that advisory groups, even in large schools, create the conditions for improving student achievement and behavior and enrich the lives of students and teachers through personalization of the learning experience. Research demonstrates that personalization of the learning environment--enabling students to know well, and be known well by, at least one adult in their school--leads to improved student outcomes in school. (AMT)

This is a workshop designed to help high school change teams increase their understanding of personalized learning and learn ways to adapt existing practices to improve student engagement. The series draws from six years of assisting schools that have been struggling to find ways for their diverse students to meet uniform expectations. It is also based on two earlier studies that form the foundation of the series: (1) a shadowing study of student engagement in seven high schools, "Making Learning Personal: Educational Practices That Work", and (2) a description of five high schools undertaking reform at different levels of organization, "Dynamics of Change in High School Teaching: A Study of Innovation in Five Vermont Professional Development Schools", both published by the Northeast and Islands Regional Educational Laboratory of the Education Alliance at Brown University. (AMT)

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is currently implementing two comprehensive school reform initiatives, Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) and Making Schools Work (MSW). The purpose of both initiatives is to raise student achievement, and they both rest on the belief that all students can complete a rigorous program of studies at middle grades and high school levels that will improve their postsecondary educational and career opportunities. MSW and MMGW involve a framework of key practices for schools to use to accelerate student achievement. Among these key practices is the need for schools to provide effective guidance and advisement for all students with the intent that teachers, principals, and parents will communicate high expectations for all students. This paper covers two components of guidance and advisement: the communication of high expectations through goal setting and planning, and encouragement from school staff to do well in school. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the actions of school staff, such as encouragement and guidance, and the academic choices that students make. This paper studies two practices that school staff can follow to influence the academic choices that students make: (1) the extent to which guidance counselors and teachers provide assistance to students in planning their high school program and (2) the extent to which guidance counselors and teachers encourage students regarding their academic achievement. Two appendixes present study data. (Contains 46 references, 6 tables, and 2 figures.) (GCP)

The 1996 "High Schools That Work" Assessment report contains positive and negative findings about the effectiveness of the high school advisement process in guiding career-bound students into challenging academic programs that will equip them for work and postsecondary study. The assessment of reading, mathematics and science performance was given to 12th-graders completing four courses in a vocational concentration at the Southern Regional Education Board's "High Schools That Work" sites. The assessment revealed that simply getting students to develop a four-year plan does not guarantee higher achievement. An effective advisement process enrolls students in "advantaged" academic courses rather than sorting them into low-level classes. Students who complete rigorous academic courses score significantly higher in reading, mathematics and science than those who complete less-demanding courses. This research brief highlights findings of the assessment and provides suggestions for how schools and educators can improve the quality of guidance and advisement practices. (GCP)

Cultural factors that influence 14- to 17-year-old boys in southwest Ohio to become involved in the juvenile correctional system include the following: (1) lack of a structured family environment; (2) lack of empathy; (3) self-centeredness; and (4) a misplaced sense of masculinity. Treatment of the whole person in correctional residential facilities ought to fuse behavior modification and education. Although not a panacea for rehabilitating all youths, experiential learning programs have been found to have a calming effect on some. In Ohio, these two programs designed to provide "hands on" alternative education for delinquent boys were developed by the Upper Valley Junior Vocational School (UVJVS) in cooperation with the David L. Brown Youth Center and the West Central Juvenile Detention Center: agriculture science training developed in 1994 and machine technology skills training developed in 1996. (The goals, program descriptions and appendices comprise almost of the report. There are these three lengthy appendices related to the David L. Brown Youth Center: a program description; a welcoming letter given to new residents; and a sample program schedule. Also appended is the agreement between the UVJVS and the West Central Juvenile Detention Center.) (AJ)

In 1972, Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) became the fourth of the TRIO Programs. EOCs provide counseling and information on college admissions to qualified adults who want to enter or continue a program of postsecondary education. EOCs coordinate with nearby postsecondary institutions and engage in activities designed to involve and acquaint the local community with higher education. This report provides a comprehensive profile of the EOC Program using the 1999- 2000 performance report data. Complete performance reports were submitted by 81 of 82 projects (99 percent), serving a total of 167,128 participants. This report is organized according to the structure of the performance report. Chapter I provides an introduction. Chapter II presents a demographic profile of EOC participants and target schools. Chapter III discusses the provision of project services. Chapter IV provides an analysis of performance outcomes, and Chapter V discusses data issues as well as plans for the future. This report is intended to serve as a resource for the improvement of EOC services. [This report was prepared for Federal TRIO Programs, Office of Postsecondary Education.]

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a project designed to train a cadre of school counseling students to work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students receiving special education services. The project was a pilot track under the Master of Science in Counselor Education, School Counseling program, at Florida International University in Miami. At the time the project was funded, the program required 54 semester hours for completion. Students selected to participate in the project were required to register for an additional 6 credits. These credits included the Education of Students with Exceptionalities course (three credits) and three credits of independent research with a department faculty member. Trainees also agreed to complete field experiences in schools where they worked directly with students with disabilities. These field experiences consisted of a part-time practicum (105 hours) and a full-time internship (600 hours). The project trained and supported 23 school counseling students, with tuition scholarships and stipends. Seventeen of these have graduated and fourteen are working as school counselors serving CLD students with disabilities. The students' research projects have resulted in publications, presentations, research papers, and research symposiums. The publications are included in the materials. (CR)

Focus groups of adult learners and some nonlearners in the English counties of Worcestershire and Herefordshire were convened to gather information about local adults' attitudes toward and experiences of further education courses. The focus groups examined how people hear about courses, why they join courses, what factors prevent people from completing courses, and why people choose to keep attending a course and enroll in additional courses. The findings were synthesized into conclusions and recommendations intended to help policymakers and practitioners attract more learners to adult courses and enable more people to complete courses successfully. The following were among the key findings and recommendations: (1) because most people hear about courses through word of mouth, engaging with community and workplace networks and supporting people in such networks with realistic, up-to-date information is important; (2) taster events are a useful way of publicizing courses; (3) guidance must become an integral part of the publicity procedure; (4) courses must be tailored to suit diverse needs; (5) holding courses locally is key to attracting learners; (6) learners would welcome workplace learning and leisure courses; (7) transportation, child care, and low course fees are key to course enrollment and completion; and (8) courses on all levels of education are needed at the local level. (MN)

This report presents an overview of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) Operational Program Reviews (OPRS) conducted at 18 California Community Colleges in the academic year 2001-2002. It sets findings about programs' strengths and weaknesses in the context of the eight EOPS program components: management and coordination, outreach, instructional development and support, counseling and advising, transfer and career transition, financial aid coordination, special activities, and the CARE (Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education) program. The reviews drew data from questionnaires returned by 545 faculty and staff and 819 students, with 655 additional detailed interviews with faculty and staff, and 309 interviews with students. Operational Program Review teams make recommendations based on the eighteen reviews. Each review is individualized, and programs are not compared with one another. Some of the 104 recommendations are as follows: (1) 8 recommendations were made for more adequate program space to enhance privacy for counselors; (2) 3 programs were directed to develop a written recruitment plan, or to improve the existing plan; (3) 11 recommendations were made regarding instructional support activities including tutoring services and practices; and (4) 30 recommendations were suggested in the counseling/advising component, which included the need to hire more counselors. (NB)

The infusion of career-based education throughout the curriculum as academic and technical curricula are integrated across all subject areas and grade levels is substantially changing the delivery and focus of K-12 education despite the lack of evidence substantiating the effectiveness of the following school-to-work (STW) reform concepts: whole school reforms; work-based learning; career academies; and contextual learning. A perceived success of STW may not be attributable to career-focused education or integrated curricula. Rather, success may arise from concurrent implementation of other reforms. The following strategies, which can all be implemented without a career focus and absent contextual or work-based learning requirements, have shown evidence of being more likely to raise student achievement: (1) all students complete a challenging curriculum that includes college preparatory courses in English, mathematics, and science; (2) graduation requirements are increased; (3) all students complete either algebra or pre-algebra by the end of grade 8; (4) teachers set high expectations for all students through challenging lessons and rigorous assignments; (5) students are taught by teachers who are knowledgeable in their subject; (6) early and continual guidance and advisement concerning postsecondary options and choice of high school courses is provided; and (7) small learning environments, including smaller high schools and schools within schools, are created. (Contains 36 references.) (MN)

Ways of improving the quality of precourse information, advice, and guidance available to students entering further education and sixth form colleges in the United Kingdom were explored. Data were collected from the following sources: (1) the 3-year Raising Quality and Achievement Programme; (2) seminars on sharing good practice in delivering student support; (3) 171 institutions' responses to a survey on pre-entry guidance and admissions; and (4) analysis of the findings from 86 college inspection reports. The following were among the 10 recommendations for placing applicants more appropriately: (1) use feedback from those applying to the institutions; (2) explore any effects of pre-entry information, advice, and guidance on retention and achievement; (3) liaise with schools and the Connexions service to clarify the nature and extent of career education and guidance received by pupils; (4) identify the information needs of parents and guardians within the college catchment area and development appropriate ways of meeting them; (5) explore ways of increasing access to advice and guidance at times of greatest need; and (6) develop self-assessment tools to enable prospective students to identify the most appropriate program and level. A table listing tensions and conflicts of pre-enrollment services is appended. (Contains 14 references.) (MN)

Common factors among high-performing distance learning (DL) programs were examined through case studies at 9 further education colleges and 2 nonsector organizations in the United Kingdom and a backup survey of a sample of 50 distance learners at 5 of the colleges. The study methodology incorporated numerous principles of process benchmarking. The study established that, in terms of planning, monitoring, and managing provision, good practice for DL has much in common with good practice for any program delivered through other modes of attendance. The data strongly suggested a correlation between meeting quality criteria in the planning, resourcing, and supporting of DL programs and the successful outcomes achieved by learners and the DL organization itself. The following factors were identified as critical success factors for DL: (1) integration of program planning, monitoring, management, and resources; (2) a good understanding of the DL operation's costs; (3) tutor and other contact with learners; (4) pre-entry guidance; (5) well-established procedures for selecting learning materials and monitoring their use; and (6) procedures to obtain customer feedback and a process to incorporate feedback survey results into future program planning. (The DL provider questionnaire and background summary are appended, along with the student questionnaire. Contains 19 references.) (MN)

"Bottom Line" provides intensive advising for low-income high school students, most of whom are the first in their family to go to college. The advising is designed to help students apply for college and financial aid and select a high-quality, affordable institution. For students who attend one of "Bottom Line's" target colleges, which they identified as providing a high-quality education at an affordable price, "Bottom Line" continues to provide regular support to students on campus for up to six years. This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report, part of the WWC's Transition to College topic area, explores the effects of "Bottom Line" on enrolling and progressing in college. The WWC identified two studies of "Bottom Line," one of which meets WWC standards. The evidence presented in this report is from one study of the impact of "Bottom Line" on high school and college students--including African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students--based in Boston, New York City, and Worcester, Massachusetts. This intervention snapshot provides a brief summary of the full report. [For "Bottom Line. Intervention Report. Transition to College Topic Area. NCEE 2021-013," see ED612306. For "Bottom Line. Intervention Brief. Transition to College Topic Area. NCEE 2021-013," see ED612307.]

Adult learning in Norway was examined in a thematic review that focused on the following areas: the contexts of adult learning; the participants in, providers of, and returns from adult learning; issues and problems facing adult learning; and good practices. The following are among the main findings of the review: (1) adult learning has a long tradition in Norway and was originally in the hands of nongovernmental organizations; (2) today, adult education in Norway takes place in numerous arenas, including the public education system, resource centers, study associations, folk high schools, distance education institutions, private institutions, and enterprises; (3) of Norway's 4.48 million adults, approximately 1 million participate in adult education annually; (4) comprehensive reforms implemented in Norway's initial education and training system in the 1990s have allowed for the fact that education will increasingly be viewed in a lifelong learning perspective; and (5) the goals of the many public- and private-sector actors involved in developing learning arenas for adults and systems of lifelong learning include developing broad understanding of good teaching arenas and efficient systems for lifelong learning and building competence among special target groups. (The report contains: 15 tables/figures; 77 endnotes; a glossary; and a bibliography listing 94 references.) (MN)

This study provides a thorough examination of the experiences of a group of students who transferred from a public community college in the Midwest to a nearby public residential university between spring 1994 and spring 2001. The study population consisted of 552 students who transferred from the community college to the university with 12 or more semester credit hours. The researchers designated the 2 groups of students in the study persisters (386, or 67%) and non-persisters (184, or 33%). A total of 243 (44%) of the persisters had earned a bachelor's degree and 125 (23%) were still enrolled at the university by spring 2002. The non-persisters were no longer enrolled in the university during spring 2002. Women and whites were the majority in both groups. Almost all of the students in both groups had earned a high school diploma rather than a G.E.D. The majority of both groups attended the community college for 3 years or less, and most did not attend the community college full time. The study suggests that the 2-plus-2 paradigm is probably less realistic than a 3-plus-3, or 3 years at community college and three at university in order to earn a degree. Suggests that transfer centers need to be an intentional part of the community college's academic division. (Contains 13 references and 38 tables.) (NB)

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of mentorship and advising as related to underrepresented minority (URM) students' experience and performance in medical school. URM students (n=23) from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine who matriculated in 1994 and 1995, and who were determined to be at risk of delay or withdrawal, were interviewed about the presence of mentor and advisor influences. The interviews examined student performance and curriculum evaluation, academic advisor efficacy and experience with mentoring, and students' personal history. Statistical analyses of the interview data revealed significant relationships between students' medical school experience and performance, whether or not they had mentors, and whom they chose as mentors. Students' evaluations of their advisors' efficacy was significantly dependent on whether or not they experienced any delays in their medical school training. Students' sense of integration within the university environment was also significantly related to their experiences with their advisors and mentors. (Contains 12 references.) (SM)

A total of 26 representatives of government departments, relevant national bodies, and guidance professional associations in England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales met to identify ways they might work together to improve the information, advice, and guidance services available to adults in their respective countries. The discussions focused on the following three topics: key features of adult guidance systems and initiatives in each country; similarities and differences between the systems and initiatives in each country; areas of common concern; and possible future actions. Despite significant differences in the ways guidance policy is evolving in each country, the five countries shared common concerns related to the following seven issues: (1) making the case for free, accessible guidance on learning and work; (2) funding for in-depth guidance; (3) marketing to foster broader public understanding of the need for adult guidance; (4) marketing to promote lifelong learning; (5) development and use of quality standards; (6) supporting networking among practitioners; and (7) finding a better way to utilize broadcasting and other information and communication technologies within existing models of guidance delivery. The participants also identified 11 possible future actions in the areas of sharing experience, comparative evaluations, and common action. (MN)

This study examined the nature and needs of international students in American higher education within the context of multicultural and globalized educational programs and support services. Most international students are considered developmental upon admission into postsecondary institutions. The success of these students has been attributed to the strength of their previous academic history, socioacademic integration, and institutional affiliation. Most suffer from empty nest syndrome, creating a need for career, familial, and occupational mediators. Successful multicultural educational programs and support services that emphasize developmental education have four holistic characteristics in common: (1) the programs address the whole student and present a whole academic process to the students; (2) in programs that provide remediation and enrichment in basic skills, diagnostic and placement tools are integral components of the academic culture; (3) the programs emphasize comprehensiveness in support services and the organizational structure of the developmental education; and (4) most programs emphasize cultural programming that incorporates students' social and academic integration and institutional affiliation within the institutional environment and instructional climate. Five tables provide international student enrollment data and educational programs and support services designed for specific problems and needs. (Contains approximately 80 references.) (RH)

The 1998 High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment report contains good news for HSTW sites in the Appalachian Regional Commission area and provides information on specific practices that need improvement. This research brief summarizes the report's findings. Based on 196 schools in 9 Appalachian states, the report shows that school, district, and state efforts to use the HSTW school-improvement framework are succeeding. Between 1996 and 1998, Appalachian sites showed significant gains in 12th-graders' performance in reading, mathematics, and science. Gains in mathematics and science achievement were related to increased numbers of students completing the HSTW-recommended curriculum in mathematics and science. However, 36 percent of students at Appalachian sites read "below basic"--a level too low for success in a career-pathway job or further education. Appalachian sites scored lower than the 140 most-improved HSTW sites in 1998 in all three areas. Findings and recommendations are presented concerning six challenges facing Appalachian sites: improving the reading, mathematics, and science achievement of career-bound students; raising standards and the quality of instruction in career/technical courses; improving the quality of guidance services and making parents an active partner; and providing staff development to help teachers raise student achievement. (SV)

In 1992, school leaders and teachers at Wallace-Rose High School in Teachey, North Carolina, began a multi-year whole-school improvement initiative that included the following actions: (1) identify low-performing students; (2) develop a team of faculty and administrators to work with low-performing students; (3) reduce class size for low-performing students; (4) provide extra help by extending the school day; and (5) combine school and community resources to focus on helping students succeed. Wallace-Rose adopted the following strategies for improvement: (1) require all students to complete a challenging academic core and a major; (2) raise expectations in the school and classroom; (3) provide organization, time, and staff development to support student improvement; (4) teach in ways that motivate students to learn challenging content; (5) upgrade the vocational program; (6) develop a guidance and advisement system; (7) organize work-based learning for students; and (8) use data to guide school practices. The improvement initiative has resulted in improvements in overall student performance, especially by African-American students. Despite enrolling more students in tougher courses, Wallace-Rose made a number of gains in 1994-1996, including fewer dropouts, student suspensions, and discipline problems. Wallace-Rose's success illustrated the importance of principals assuming the roles of visionary, role model, instructional leader, and manager of school improvement. (MN)

In the late 1980s, in response to a number of problems including consistently low academic performance by students and graduates lacking the skills needed by employers, Swansea High School in Swansea, South Carolina, launched a major reform effort designed to transform Swansea into a high-performance high school. During the multi-year reform process, school leaders eliminated the general track by requiring all students to complete a college-preparatory or a vocational-technical program of study. All students were required to identify a major in one of four broad career clusters. The school's guidance, advisement, and tutorial services were strengthened. Swansea's vocational curriculum and equipment were updated, and district and school leaders worked to develop curriculum guides that reflected national standards. In an effort to improve the quality of instruction, school and district leaders implemented a variety of staff development activities and expanded the use of instructional technology in mathematics and science classes. A shared vision was created among academic and vocational teachers, community partnerships were built, and applied instructional were strategies used to motivate students to learn challenging content. Swansea's reform efforts resulted in overall improvements in students' academic performance, as documented by the High Schools That Work assessments of reading, mathematics, and science performance in 1993 and 1996. (MN)